WASHINGTON – The music lovers who came to the June 5 evening concert at the Ukrainian Embassy knew that this would be a remarkable performance by Ukrainian soprano Sofia Soloviy and composer-pianist Elia Andrea Corazza.
Some of them had already attended the duo’s first Washington Group Cultural Fund Music Series concert last November, and they spread the word about how good it was to their friends who hadn’t been able to attend because it was on Thanksgiving weekend. But they all came together to fill Embassy’s main hall at the encore TWGCF Music Series Soloviy-Corazza concert.
And, judging by the loud and lasting standing ovations, their expectations were fulfilled.
Beginning with selected arias from operas by Giuseppe Verdi, Gioachino Rossini and Giacomo Puccini, and Halka’s aria from Polish composer Stanislaw Moniuszko’s opera “Halka,” Ms. Soloviy concluded the first half of the program with her accompanist’s own composition “April Rain.”
Ms. Soloviy’s opera singing career began in Lviv and then took her through Europe – Italy, France, Spain, Germany Austria, Poland, the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as to other venues in Ukraine and now to the United States.
Dr. Corazza, is a pianist with a Ph.D. in musicology from the University of Bologna (Italy). In addition to being a pianist and teacher, he is also a conductor and a composer of music in various genres, from neoclassical to contemporary electronic.
Judging by the audience’s reaction, the pieces performed in the second half of the program went straight to their hearts: Rusalka’s aria from Antonin Dvorak’s “Rusalka,” Oksana’s aria from Yuliy Meitus’ “Haydamaky,” Yakiv Stepovyj’s “Oy Try Shliakhy Shyrokiyi,” Ihor Sonevytsky’s “Tvii Usmikh Maye Spokii Kvity,” Volodymyr Vermenych’s “Chornobryvtsi” and Mykola Lysenko’s “De Ty, Doniu.”
A long standing ovation brought the performers out for three encores and “Oy Khodyt Son” as the finale, and another standing ovation.